UW men’s basketball and the NIT: Projections are split

Projections are split on the postseason fate of the Washington men’s basketball team, with some forecasts saying the Huskies will make their third straight trip to the NIT and others saying they are out.

The early ouster bumped the Huskies out of the NIT, according to NYCbuckets.com. The website includes UW among 11 teams that just missed the tournament.

The Huskies would not accept a berth to the College Basketball Invitation.

“I know for me as well as the seniors we want to keep going,” C.J. Wilcox said Wednesday.

The bracket, seeds and pairings for the 32-team tournament will be announced during the NIT Selection Show, which airs 5:30 p.m. Sunday on ESPNU.

It appears as if the Pac-12 will send six teams (Arizona, UCLA, Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon and Stanford) to the NCAA tournament. The conference receives about $250,000 for each team that plays in the Big Dance.

Meanwhile, 3-4 Pac-12 teams are projected to participate in the NIT, including Utah and California. Washington and Oregon State are on the bubble. The conference does not receive a payout for NIT berths.

“We want as many of our teams in the postseason as possible,” Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said. “It helps in terms of exposure for our conference and for those it helps builds confidence.”